Improvement in fulling-mills



UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM B. LODGE, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN FULLlNG-MILLS.

Specification'forming part of Letters Patent No. 93,100, dated July '27, 1S69., antedted July 23, 1869.

fo au whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. LODGE, of Danbury, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fulling-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention consists in certain novel means of heating the trough of a fulling-mill and its contents, and of supplying water thereto and drawing it off therefrom during the fulliiig or felting process.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figures l and 2 represent sectional elevations of a fulling-mill constructed according to my improvement, taken at right angles to each other; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the heating apparatus, showing the manner' of heating the bottom of the trough.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Ais the frame of a fulling-mill, having provided therein the usual curvated tr'ough, B, in which are made to operate, by any suitable means, mallets C C, all substantially after the usual manner of constructing fulling-mills.

. aI a are pipes communicating with a conveniently-arranged steam-boiler and designed for admission of steam or water, or both, into a steam-chest, E. Said steam-chest E is constructed of copper or other metal, and is arranged at the bottom of the trough B, near the lowest point thereof, and in a manner as represented in the drawings. This steam-chest is `of a rectangular elongated formation 5 but may be of any suitable form, and is provided, longitudinally through its center, with a partition, j', forming therein two parallel compartments, o o, which communicate with each other through said partition at a point, e, so that the steam or water admitted therein from the. pipe c will have to traverse the entire length of both compartments o o before it can leave the chest, thereby heating the lower portion of the trough B across its entire breadth in a uniform manner. Said steam-chestE may, if preferred, consist simply of a contiuuati on of the pipe a, passing in as far as the point e and doubling back any number of times, to pro duce the requisite degree of heat, and this I consider an equivalent of the steam-chest E, already described.

c is an exhaust-pipe for the steam-chest E, or may be a continuation of the pipe a,when the steam-chest is dispensed with by the substitution of the pipe a, passing in and doubling back as described. This pipe c is made to pass upwardly from the steam-chest E and turn in a horizontal direction across the top of the trough B, and has provided, in the underside of said horizontal portion, a series of perforations, i, as shown in Fig. 2, so that steam or condensed steam or water may be admitted from the chest E into the trough B from a point above the material that is being fulled, thereby not only heating the upper portion of the trough aud fabrics simultaneously with the lower portion, but also by this means the clogging or filling up of the perforations t' by the accumulation of dirt or other sediment at the bottom of the trough is obviated. The supply of steam and water admitted from the boiler to the steamLchest, as also from. the

steam-chest to the horizontal showering-pipe c', may be regulated to any desirable adjustment or shut off' entirely by means of suitablyarranged valves or cocks, thereby to regulate the temperature of the trough and also the quantity of steam or water admitted within the trough. The water. or condensedk steam, when not being used within the trough, may be discharged through a cock, g, provided in the lower part of the pipe c.

G is a draining-chamber, arranged at the bottom of the trough B, near the lowest point geueous throughout, thereby producing heav- 2. The perforated draining-chamber G, arier material and a material that nishes up ranged all across the trough, substantially as better. and for the purpose herein set forth.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to have secured by Letters Patent, is- VILLAM B. LODGE.

l. The combination of the steam-chest E and the showering-pipe c c with the chamber B, lVitnesses: arranged and operating substantially as and HIRAM PLA'rNER, for the purposes herein set forth. LYMAN D. BREWSTER. 

